Epizootic Mortality of Free-living Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, Due to Coccidiosis

Gordon, Anita N.; Kelly, W. R.; Lester, R. J. G.

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-29.3.490

Cited by 45 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In contrast to many previous reports, stranded turtles in this study had a very low incidence of significant lesions caused by human interaction or parasitism, and no turtles were affected by fibropapillomatosis (Glazebrook et al, 1990;Gordon et al, 1993;Oró s et al, 2004Oró s et al, , 2005Foley et al, 2005;Jacobson et al, 2006). In only one case, the turtle with a severe carapace fracture, was a traumatic injury likely caused by human interaction (e.g., boat strike).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 48%

Pathologic and Parasitologic Findings of Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys Kempii) Stranded on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2001–2006

Innis

Nyaoke

Williams

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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ABSTRACT:Necropsy reports for 28 stranded, cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) that died between 2001 and 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. Gross and microscopic lesions were compiled to describe the pathologic and parasitologic findings in turtles that were found freshly dead on the beach or that died within 48 hr of stranding. Anatomic lesions of varying severity were identified in each of the examined turtles and were identified in tissues of the alimentary, respiratory, integumentary, nervous and sensory, and urogenital systems in order of decreasing frequency. Necrotizing enterocolitis and bacterial or fungal pneumonia were the most frequently encountered lesions that were considered clinically significant. Parasites and parasitic lesions were identified primarily in tissues of the alimentary system and included intestinal cestodiasis and parasitic granulomas containing larval cestodes or nematodes. Postlarval cestodes were also found in the coelom of two turtles. In many cases, the extent and severity of lesions were judged to be insufficient to have solely caused mortality, suggesting that additional factors such as metabolic, respiratory, and electrolyte derangements; hypothermia; and drowning may be important proximate causes of death in cold-stunned turtles. Results of this study provide insight into pathologic conditions that may be of clinical relevance to rehabilitation efforts for coldstunned sea turtles.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 48%

Pathologic and Parasitologic Findings of Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys Kempii) Stranded on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2001–2006

Innis

Nyaoke

Williams

et al. 2009

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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“…and Vibrio alginolyticus (ORÓS et al, 2005;FLINT et al, 2009;WORK et al, 2015a). Parasites are frequently observed in C. mydas intestines, although few studies have conducted systematic evaluations of lesions associated with parasite presence, like severe exudative enteritis associated with the protozoa Charyospora cheloniae outbreaks in captive and free-ranging animals (GORDON et al, 1993;FLINT et al, 2009;CHAPMAN et al, 2016) or thickness of intestine wall with whitish or black areas ( Figure 3C) with edema, enteritis and granulomatous vasculitis associated with Spirorchiidae trematode and bacteria and fibrinous-hemorrhagic serositis associated with bacilli gram negative (RAIDAL et al, 1998;SANTORO et al, 2007;FLINT et al, 2010;WORK et al, 2015a).…”

Section: Mortality and Morbidity Of Chelonia Mydas Associated With Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

The green turtle Chelonia mydas as a marine and coastal environmental sentinels: anthropogenic activities and diseases

Domiciano

Domit

Bracarense

2017

SCA

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The green turtle Chelonia mydas as a marine and coastal environmental sentinels: anthropogenic activities and diseases Tartaruga-verde, Chelonia mydas, como sentinela do ambiente marinho e costeiro: atividades antrópicas e enfermidades AbstractThe green turtle Chelonia mydas is a widely distributed, slowly maturing species with a complex life cycle, using both oceanic and coastal environments. The species is exposed to different threats and is considered an environmental sentinel that indicates variation among, and the severity of hazards to marine ecosystems. This study aimed to describe both anthropogenic impacts, and infectious and parasitic diseases in C. mydas -including cases along the Brazilian coast -and implications for conservation. Bycatch is reported as the main threat to the conservation of this species, followed by debris ingestion, collisions with boats, dredging, and chronic environmental contamination. All of these impacts may directly or indirectly cause death, by facilitating contact with pathological agents and by increasing vulnerability to secondary diseases. The pathological agents associated with lesions include viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and helminths. Fibropapillomatosis is an example of a chronic disease characterized by cutaneous and visceral tumors that affects mostly juvenile C. mydas worldwide and is associated with the Chelonid herpesvirus 5. The bacterias Vibrio alginolyticus, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Pseudomonas fluorescens are found in the aquatic environment and among C. mydas lesions in various organs. Trematode adults and eggs of the family Spirorchiidae are also frequent in systemic cardiovascular diseases of C. mydas. The direct impacts of anthropogenic activities and diseases are synergistic and may affect the specie's health and conservation. Therefore, the monitoring and systematic diagnosing of diseases and causes of death -including necropsy, histopathology, and molecular exams -are necessary to assess a population's health, to support appropriate decisions of coastal management and to target future research topics that optimize C. mydas conservation. Key words: Bycatch. Conservation. Debris ingestion. Morbidity. Pathogenic agents. Sea turtle. ResumoA tartaruga-verde, Chelonia mydas, possui ampla distribuição geográfica, reprodução tardia e complexo ciclo de vida, habitando áreas costeiras e oceânicas. Devido a essas características, a espécie está exposta a diferentes tipos de ameaças e pode sinalizar sobre variações e a gravidade desses impactos ao longo do tempo no ecossistema, sendo considerada sentinela ambiental. Este trabalho teve por objetivo discorrer sobre relatos de atividades antrópicas impactantes e doenças infecciosas e parasitárias em C. mydas, com ênfase nas ocorrências no litoral brasileiro. A captura acidental em petrechos de pesca é uma das principais ameaças à conservação desses animais, assim como a ingestão de resíduos sólidos, colisão com embarcações, dragagens e bioacumulação de contaminantes químicos, os quais podem atuar diretament...

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“…The second parasite, Caryospora cheloniae, is a coccidian infecting green sea turtles. It has been associated with mass mortality events in eastern Australian waters in 1991 (Gordon et al, 1993), 2002 and more recently in 2014. Coccidia are traditionally associated with the gastrointestinal tract, however, C. cheloniae is associated with disseminated systemic infections and causes significant pathology of the brain, leading to neurological disturbance (Gordon et al, 1993).…”

Section: Figure 52mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adverse impacts on green sea turtles as a result of these infections were not reported, and all turtles studied were determined to have died of other causes (Graczyk et al, 1997). However, a third coccidian parasite, Caryospora cheloniae, was described from green sea turtles in 1973 (Leibovitz et al, 1978;Rebell et al, 1974), and has been associated with several mass mortality events (Gordon et al, 1993;Leibovitz et al, 1978;Rebell et al, 1974).…”

Section: Coccidia Of Reptilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, 74% of turtles were found to have microscopic adult flukes (consistent with N. schistosomatoides), most commonly within the meninges. Dailey et al, 1991;Flint et al, 2010;Glazebrook and Campbell, 1990;Glazebrook et al, 1981;Gordon et al, 1993;Jacobson et al, 2006;Stacy et al, 2010a;Work and Balazs, 2002).…”

Section: Spirorchiid Genera -Host Specificity Tissue Tropisms and Rementioning

confidence: 99%

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Diversity, impacts and diagnosis of pathogenic parasites in sea turtles from Queensland, Australia

Chapman¹

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Parasitism is a significant cause of stranding and mortality in endangered sea turtles. Two parasites in particular (or groups thereof) have been noted for their impacts on green sea turtle populations. The first are the spirorchiid blood flukes, which inhabit the circulatory systems of their host. The second is the eimeriid coccidian Caryospora cheloniae, a systemic parasite affecting a number of organs. Diversity among these organisms is poorly explored, and is almost certainly greater than currently recognised. The parasites and their associated diseases fluctuate both temporally and spatially in terms of prevalence and severity, however, the factors driving these fluctuations are poorly understood. A variety of questions remain unanswered in terms of the epidemiology and relative pathogenicity of the different parasite species. Of particular interest are brain lesions, which have been associated with both parasites and in some cases lead to neurological deficiency and subsequent mortality. Difficulties in finding answers to these questions is compounded by a lack of reliable, fast and quantitative ante-and post-mortem diagnostic tools for either parasite, which restricts their investigation.In order to catalogue local species and assess diversity, adult spirorchiid flukes were collected during post-mortem examination of deceased sea turtles and characterised by molecular and morphological means. Eleven distinct species or genotypes were identified, comprising a mix of previously described and novel species or variants. Samples were also collected from green sea turtles that died during a coccidiosis related mass mortality event in south east Queensland and northern New South Wales. While only one species of coccidian (C. cheloniae) had been previously described, molecular characterisation of the organism implicated in the outbreak revealed two distinct coccidian genotypes, which has significant implications for diagnosis and management.Spirorchiid ova have been associated with granulomatous lesions in a wide range of host tissues. However, it has not been possible to identify spirorchiids beyond the genus level based on morphology, which has frustrated any attempts to identify the species or variants responsible for severe lesions. In this thesis, a molecular approach was used and a terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) assay was developed to detect and identify individual species within the often mixed assemblages of ova in turtle tissues. This assay proved to be a more specific and sensitive alternative to traditional iii microscopic detection methods. Through correlation with histopathology and gross pathology, the tissue tropisms, relative occurrence and pathogenicity of each species were investigated. The most common species (Neospirorchis Genotype 2) was found in 96% of samples, encompassing tissues from all organs sampled. On average, a greater number of spirorchiid species were detected in tissues where lesions were present, and numbers increased along with the severity o...

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Epizootic Mortality of Free-living Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, Due to Coccidiosis

Abstract: ABSTRACT:At least 70 wild green sea turtles, Chelonia rnydas,

Cited by 45 publications

References 10 publications

Pathologic and Parasitologic Findings of Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys Kempii) Stranded on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2001–2006

Pathologic and Parasitologic Findings of Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys Kempii) Stranded on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2001–2006

The green turtle Chelonia mydas as a marine and coastal environmental sentinels: anthropogenic activities and diseases

Diversity, impacts and diagnosis of pathogenic parasites in sea turtles from Queensland, Australia

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